The New Hampshire voters have started polling for the first in-the-nation primary on Tuesday (local time), which will pave the way for the much-anticipated clash in the bid for the White House later this year.
Former US President Donald Trump — who is coming after a landslide win in the Iowa caucus — is aiming to secure the GOP nomination, against former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, to put in a historic 2020 rematch with incumbent President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election.
Trump’s last remaining rival in the race, Haley, needs a strong performance to keep her hopes alive for the presidential race.
The eventual Republican nominee will challenge the Democrat nominee, likely President Joe Biden, in November’s general election.
The race for the Republican nomination narrowed to just two on Sunday, after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came a distant second in Iowa’s caucuses and then quit and endorsed former president Trump.
Trump already held a double-digit lead in many opinion polls taken in New Hampshire before DeSantis’ exit. Most surveys suggest a majority of the Florida governor’s supporters view Trump as the next best option.
It is pertinent to note that in the American system, anyone who wants to be president will have to get his or her message across to everyday people in New Hampshire living rooms and make appearances in the state’s diners.
Most voters in New Hampshire cast their ballots during the day on Tuesday but in tiny Dixville Notch, a handful of people voted at midnight in a decades-old tradition. All six registered voters in the resort town chose Nikki Haley over Donald Trump.
Anyone in New Hampshire can vote in the primary, and the state is seen as more moderate than deeply conservative Iowa. Trump won the Republican nomination in the state in 2016 and 2020.
While its state government is controlled by Republicans, New Hampshire is frequently listed as a battleground state in general elections. But since 2004, it has voted for the Democrat in every presidential election.
Regarding the voting, registered Republicans and Democrats vote in their own primaries. But, the independent voters can also take part by asking for either a Republican or Democratic ballot.
New Hampshire gets 22 delegates in the Republican primary process – less than 1 per cent of the total delegates who will vote at the convention this summer. All of the state’s Republican delegates will be awarded to candidates proportionally based on their statewide primary performance, but candidates need to win at least 10 per cent of the vote to be eligible for delegates.
Democrats are only giving New Hampshire 10 delegates this year, as a ‘punishment’ for conducting the primary earlier than the party wanted.
According to a new CNN poll, former President Donald Trump is the clear front-runner and holds 50 per cent support among likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State.
Having launched his bid in November 2022, Trump seeks to secure a non-consecutive term, persistently denying the 2020 election outcome and facing multiple criminal charges. His potential second term promises a substantial overhaul of federal government factions and aggressive actions against political opponents, CNN reported.
Trump’s closest competitor, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, stands at 39 per cent. Haley has focused on undeclared voters, hoping they can help her against Trump’s committed Republican base.
On the other hand, Nikki Haley entered the presidential race in February 2023, advocating for a fresh wave of Republican leadership. Her campaign emphasises economic responsibility, national security, and border strengthening.
If successful in the primary, Haley could become the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president. Her political journey includes serving in the South Carolina House and making history as the state’s first female governor.
Polls in the state began closing at 1900 EST, with the last closing an hour later. Preliminary results are expected around this time, although the final tally may take several more hours.